Pein and Konan: The way things are
by Secret Sheik
Summary: He is cold and impassive. She is uncertain of his true feelings. What will happen between them in these silent nights? Pein/Konan, slight OTD.
1. The way we used to be

Welcome! I've never written a fan pairing, so this should be interesting to say the least. Anyway... These Naruto characters are not mine, but the storyline is. Whatever. I'm talking too much.

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Part 1: "The way that we are right now; the way we used to be."

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Pein never really was the talkative type. He rarely associated with any of his other Akatsuki members now, keeping only to the odd visits from Zetsu. Only Konan was his constant companion, always staying silently nearby. And then after Deidara had passed on, Tobi had come to him as well, always in secret. After confiding in Pein his true identity, it was necessary to keep him out of sight for the time being. Now even Zetsu stayed away on his own, leaving Pein again to be in solitude. But... there was Konan.

Konan was the only female Akatsuki member, and he often wondered if she disliked him from always keeping her away from the others. Although, it really wasn't his fault. They were always on some kind of mission that led them far away from their current hideout, and they would often be away for weeks at a time.

He sighed and stared out through the rain. Even with the Rin'negan, he couldn't make out anything beyond a few feet ahead. The steady, heavy rain turned the ground to mush beneath them, and they had retreated into the only dry cavern they could find. Such a mess... mucking through the marshes for... how long now? It had already been 8 days, and still no sign of anything. With all their clues exhausted or disproven, they had been left with this failed expedition. He hated failure, it grated at his nerves every time. Still, there was nothing that could be done, and they planned to leave as soon as the rain let up enough to see. The rain wouldn't stop, surely. Not any time soon. This was the rain country, after all, and rain it did, all day every day in this season.

Konan watched as he stared at the ground and fumed. She knew he was kicking himself for leading them on another fruitless mission, but she understood well how hard a search for a Jinchuuriki could be. Indeed, she had never blamed him for all the past failures, but instead she understood that failure led to improvement and then success. That was how she became so talented with origami. She didn't succeed all the time. And finally, after years of work, she had perfected her talents, her failures grossly outnumbering her successes.

She felt the need to say something encouraging, but she couldn't possibly imagine what would make him feel better. He was that rogue that stood alone unless it was necessary, forsaking all but what was closest to him. There wasn't much he would listen to, except for herself and that Uchiha... Despite this, he was a fair leader, understanding when things didn't work out as planned, but being inwardly frustrated. And then members started dying... When Orochimaru left, everyone had been glad to have him off their hands. But then Sasori died, a welcome and loved member, one they dearly missed. Even Deidara, the selfish psychopath, had been badly needed lately, but... he was also gone. Finally even Hidan and Kakuzu were dead, despite Hidan's bragging about being immortal. Indeed, that was why they were paired together in the firt place. Hidan was the only partner that Kakuzu could slice to pieces and still leave alive. But somehow they were both killed. All that were left... Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, and Tobi. That was all? So few could never complete the ritual quickly enough.

Still, she had to say something, anything but this silence. "Pein-sama..."

He didn't answer for a moment, then turned and glared. "Mm..?"

She turned away from his glare, wondering why she bothered. Her paper flower in her hair dropped onto her lap, soaked and disintegrating into clumps of white and blue mush. She bit her lip, still refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fought that man without asking. It was my fault."

His look turned kinder, and he nodded. "No, it's alright. It wasn't your fault." In their search for a Jinchuuriki, they had entered a village in disguise, but without her concealing cloak, Konan was very... attractive, and a man had tried to assault her. "I'm glad you fought back, Konan. He had no right to do that."

She finally met his gaze, her own a bit surprised. He really approved of that? For so long, he had seemed to be uncaring and distant, but somehow in the dim cave he seemed less hostile than usual. "You... really think so?"

"Yeah. But next time let me go with you. I don't want you to get hurt again." His eyes, which rarely relected any kind of hurt or remorse, seemed to sting with pain.

"I... No, I was fine, really. He was a fool to mess with a shinobi. I'll just be more careful, so you don't have to worry about me." She must have been imagining it. Did he just have a flicker of insult on his face?

He stared back at the ground. "I'm sorry Konan."

Now she was nearly shocked. What the heck would he have to apologize for? "Why... are you sorry?"

"For... I don't know, keeping you away from everyone. You probably think I'm so overprotective, don't you? Even the other members of Akatsuki rarely see you. Do you hate me for keeping you from a normal life?"

She had never thought of that. Really, ever since they were children in the rain village, fighting against every intruder, living off scraps, she had never known what a real life was. The Akatsuki WAS her life. Now and always. "This is what you've always wanted, wasn't it? To have a way to fight back?"

He nodded, silent for a moment. "Yes, it was. It still is. We have to protect ourselves somehow... if it means being missing nin forever, then... I will do it. But... I won't ask you to do the same if you don't want to anymore."

She blinked in disbelief. He wasn't acting like himself at all. Cautiously, she crept to his side and felt his face. No wonder! He was hot to the touch, feverish from expending so much evergy and being in these extremes. "Pein-sama, you shouldn't push yourself so much." But he just stared blankly ahead, not really hearing her. She knew he was far worse off than he seemed at first. With a sigh, she pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, held it out in the rain, and dabbed his cheek carefully. Even in his weakened state, he resisted her touch. But because he was so weak, she was easily able to calm him down. Finally, he relented, allowing himself to lay down and stare at the ceiling deliriously as she removed his forehead protector and laid the damp handkerchief in its place. Really, he shouldn't be working so hard in this weather. She cursed her lack of medical knowledge, worrying about what she would do if he worsened. His hands felt cold and clammy, despite his face being so flushed and warm. Deep in the recesses of her memories, she recalled a short lecture about hypothermia. This was the rain country, after all, her hometown - and hypothermia happened all the time in the reainy season. As long as the victim was kept warm, the situation was usually alright. He wasn't too far gone yet.

Recalling whatever she could, she carefully removed his Akatsuki cloak, taking care not to disturb him. Fortunately, his clothes underneath were only somewhat wet, and they were already drying out. Then she removed her own cloak, realizing that she was almost in the same state as he was. With a shudder, she squeezed the water out of her cloak, then his, and dried them out as best as possible. It would have to do. After one last shake, she draped his cloak on top of him, crouching nearby and huddling inside her own. As he drifted in and out of watching her, she paid close watch, checking his temperature every few minutes. He wasn't improving as fast as she wanted - he needed to sleep, but for some reason he seemed to be fighting it. "Pein-sama, you need to sleep. I'll watch out for you."

He stared up at her. "You... are you sure?"

"Yes, it's fine, please get some rest." He nodded, but he still stared at the ceiling, exhausted but maybe it was possible to be too tired to sleep? Another sigh, and she smiled inwardly. Such a stubborn man. She watched him for a moment, wondering what to do. Then, softly, she hummed a song they both knew from a long time ago, before they had been attacked by anyone, before Jiraiya had chanced upon their village to help them, long before the pain and suffering. He stared incredulously, shocked for a moment, but then he remembered too, and relaxed a little. Her voice barely rose above the rain, but he heard it clearly, and before long he was asleep. She smiled and leaned back against the wall, exhausted now that her task was over, and also feel asleep, not worried about enemies attacking. In this rain, who in their right mind would be outside? Even elite Akatsuki like themselves were held up.

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She woke before he did, as she always did every day. There was really no reason why she did this, it's just the way things were. The morning was still cold, although not as frigid as overnight. Rain still poured from the sky, an unceasing torrent beating the vegetation ruthlessly. Silently, she watched as the storm pelted an even beat on stone and dirt, and she remembered that song again. Her head moved slightly as the music ran through her head, and it seemed as though she could hear it. Lightning cracked, distracting her, and she realized that she WAS hearing it... Pein was still laying back, but he had put his arm over his eyes, humming the song to himself, and a tear escaped from his sleeve. He didn't even know why he was crying. Killing someone never made him cry or feel remorse, destroying villages only fulfilled his mission. Why would he be feeling anything now of all times?

Konan watched him, her own eyes threatening to fill with tears. She wasn't sure either why their sorrow suddenly appeared there in the middle of nowhere, trapped in a cave and waiting for hell to come. But she decided to stay strong, if only for his sake. He tried his best to push back the pain, she knew he needed to let it out. She would be there for him, now and always. With an odd kindness, she pushed his arm back from his face and smiled at him, wiping away a stray tear. "Pein-sama... you shouldn't hold back all the time." She must have been crazy to do what she did just then, but she leaned forward and kissed his cheek slightly, suddenly wondering why she did that. What if he didn't like that? Would he get angry? What was she thinking? But to her surprise, he didn't do anything at all for a moment, just stared at her blankly. And possibly even to his own surprise, he reached up and touched the side of her face, nothing special, but for his usually unemotional self, this was far beyond normal for him. Naturally, she was worried. Was he still feeling sick? But the hand on her cheek was warm and regular, pulse beating strong and steady. There... was nothing wrong at all.

This was his inner self, something even Konan wasn't aware of. As close to his heart as she may have been, even then she was startled by this revelation. Though the gesture had been small, it seemed an emotional outburst, yelling out and demanding attention. Her own tears fell down her cheeks, dripping down his hand, but he paid no attention, simply watching, waiting. It was long before either of them did anything, just content to be in the other's company a while longer. Inside her eyes, he saw something that had been kept within her for too long. What was it? Longing? Longing for what? Companions? From what little he knew of women, he remembered that they tended to be more social than men. But that pain, that look of... it was almost fear. It was something entirely new.

Maybe he was being too brash. Maybe he was doing the right thing. But being who he was, the one who simply did and never looked back, he never considered what he was about to do. Maybe she didn't want to. Maybe their relationship was already too fragile. But being who he was, he had to simply do and not look back. He leaned close, keeping his hand on her face, not letting her back up as she was accustomed to doing. Instead he drew closer than she ever imagined he'd be, and he kissed her full on the lips, sloppy, inexperienced, but by no means lacking in pleasure. But she didn't struggle away anymore, and stayed as she was, only a finger's width away from that curious, unpredictable mouth of his. What was this sudden emotion coming from him? She was all but overcome by this odd sensation. "Pein-Sama...?"

He shook his head. "No, no more Sama, I wish you'd stop doing that."

She smiled weakly. "Alright... Pein."

What was it he was feeling? Heck, what had caused him to kiss her, much less enjoy it? He didn't know enough to place a finger on the right emotion. It wasn't lust. If that had been all, he should have felt it long before. Friendship? If that had been all, he wouldn't have kissed her. Was... was it love after all? Why hadn't he felt this before? Why did Konan bring out every emotion he'd ever had? What was so different about her? Maybe he would never know why, but right now this was the way things were. He watched her from her precarious perch so near to him, so close to that bridge he had crossed. But he was content simply to watch, and brushed another stray tear from her cheek idly, tracing down the path it fell into.

She stared to the side. "Pein-Sa... er, Pein?"

He looked at her until she looked back at him. "Hmm?"

"I feel... something strange, I barely remember it. It was so long ago, do you remember? Before the war? When we still had families, and friends? What was it we felt back then? It felt like we'd never be alone, but then we were. Was that what love felt like? I don't remember it too well."

He thought about that for a moment. "Maybe. I don't really remember either. But I remember we were always together, with--... with him, and I remember being happy, but it has faded so much since then."

"Maybe if... Mm... well, if you were alright with it, I guess..."

He smiled an odd, wide grin, something his facial muscles even protested. "Konan, please stop asking me to approve everything you do."

She paused cautiously, then nodded, and belatedly returned the previous kiss, but she was a bit more talented, and it grew from a simple grazing to something deep and intimate, as if expressing every pent up desire that lay latent within her.

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Next Time: What will become of this newly found thing called emotion? Are they destined to be together, or fated to be drawn apart? Find out whenever the heck I get the next chapter done! 


	2. Even now, it's unthinkable

Apparently people like this, I even got a few reviews, and that's pretty awesome so I'll write this second chapter for you! I'm really sleepy right now so I hope I don't make horrible typos... Please also note that when I put both a Japanese last name AND first name, I put the last name first, as it's supposed to be. Some people don't so... just saying.

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Part 2: "Even now, it's Unthinkable"

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A slight patter of rain sprinkled all around, methodically continuing on its mindless path. Through the break in the monsoon, the two hurried to their destination, knowing it was only a matter of time before the small raindrops gave way to the waterfall. Despite the discordance of the rain, there was never such a silence that Konan had ever known. It was difficult, to say the least, to start any kind of conversation without remembering that one weak moment that he had shown in her presence. Maybe he felt ashamed somehow, because he hadn't said anything since. The only sound all around them was the vegetation heaving under the weight of the storm.

Visibility was low, but despite that, he knew where he was going. No matter where he was, he somehow always found his way home. He scoffed for a moment. What was home anyway? That run-down Akatsuki base in the middle of nowhere? In a way, it was home for them now. It was a home to everyone in the Akatsuki, the nin without a village, the rogues and wanderers. Without the organization, where would they be now? He chanced a glance back at Konan, wondering where he would even be without her. Somehow, just her presence was enough to make him more lenient towards the other members, and even soft hearted at times. Although he hated any show of weakness, he couldn't help himself. That strange familiarity between them always made things feel different.

He slowed slightly to walk next to her, hovering closely, protectively. The rain spilled down their wide slick hats, tenting a watery curtain all around. Even with the rain's increasing wrath and visibility plummeting, he could still see her face, her inquisitive blue eyes focused ahead, straining to see anything at all. Soon, even she was barely visible in the rising fog, both of them pacing down into a marsh. They ventured as long as they dared into the dangerously murky bog, taking the fastest route possible. Although they had only made it a few miles towards their destination, the conditions were poor, and they would need to stop again soon. Fortunately, the marsh was littered with dozens of caves formed by the river that used to run through it, and after another mile, the torrential rain started up again and they stopped for the time being.

Konan tapped her hat on the side of the wall, shaking any loose raindrops onto the dirt. She shook out her cloak, then wrapped it tightly around herself, sitting down shakily. "I remember these monsoons. Do you remember that time it rained for two months and ten days? I wondered if it would ever stop raining."

He mirrored her actions, tapping his hat, shaking out his cloak, and shivering on the ground. "I remember that. There was a flood, and a nearby village was completely wiped off the bank of the river."

She nodded and tucked her chin to her knees. "I felt so bad for them. There wasn't even a foundation left, everything was scoured down to silt and mud. But for some reason, when I hear about that sort of thing now, I don't even feel a dull ache."

"No... I don't either. And yet..." He paused, catching himself before he said what he was about to.

But she caught every word he said, and stared up at him. "And yet... what?"

He quickly stuffed his face deep into his cloak, but she could still see that he was blushing. "Ah... nothing really. But sometimes I feel sad, and there's really no reason for it at all. I'll just... suddenly feel it come over me."

She nodded once slowly, thinking carefully. "You can't just decide to make yourself a god amongst your people and expect to suddenly feel no pain. By becoming something like that... maybe we're causing more pain. I remember that we wanted to defend our village, our friends, everything from those attacks that left us alone. I... I think what you're feeling... it might be remorse. I feel it too sometimes, late at night. Sometimes I wake up crying and I don't know why."

"You... you don't think we're doing the right thing?"

"I wonder sometimes. I didn't want to tell you before. It always seemed that you knew what you were doing, and what was best for us. I didn't want to second-guess you."

He stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, wondering about this sudden revelation. "Then tell me now. Tell me what you really think." She hesitated, and he looked at her until she raised her head, and he smiled. "Konan, please."

She paused, then nodded. "We've killed so many people. I never thought anything about it at first, since they were keeping us from our goal. But... they had goals too, and plans, and entire lives to live, and it's like we were... judging them unfit to live. You wanted to become a ninja to protect lives, not throw them away. Even if they are the enemy, in the end everyone wants the exact same thing. We all want to live without war. But bloodshed... only makes more bloodshed in the end."

Ah, female logic. Something the Akatsuki was lacking completely. If not for Konan, he wouldn't have even thought about this. He sighed under his breath, then leaned closer, their sides touching. "I think... you're right about that. But what can we do?"

"I don't know. We've done so much wrong... I can't even think of how to begin to put it right again - if it were ever right in the first place."

He nodded silently, and watched her closely. Her long bangs had drifted in front of her face, hair color and eye color blending together perfectly as she stared at nothing in particular. Oddly, he felt very protective all of a sudden, and he put his hand on her waist cautiously. "It was all wrong long before we were even born. From the beginning, it was all we knew. It's no surprise that it's the only way we know how to act. People still kill to survive. Maybe it's all we'll ever know."

"Maybe. Everyone strives for peace, but they do it through war. Maybe... maybe we need to stop fighting."

Truthfully, he'd never been so shocked before. Stop fighting? What else was there to do? Was there something he had missed, something else that could solve everything? They couldn't just suddenly stop fighting and have everything be alright again. It was more complicated than that. Even if they stopped fighting, someone else would be more than willing to do it in their place. He mentioned this to her, and worried about how depressed she looked. Heck, he was probably just as depressed, but... war was depressing, and he made a note about that. Yet something needed to be done. What was it? What could possibly work?

She bit her lip nervously, not sure either. For a while nothing could be heard but the thunder of rain on the marsh, but soon her eyes teared up, but not because she was sad. Something was irritating her eyes. And then her throat. She heaved into a fit of coughing, looking around to see what was wrong. He also looked up, keeping his sleeve to his nose, and watched as the fog around them turned a sickly yellow. The heavy rain must have disturbed a pocket of infected air. He managed to tie a cloth around his face in time, but Konan was already immobilized by coughing spasms, and he cursed under his breath and picked her up. Though the rain as thick and heavy, and he could barely see ahead, staying here was folly. He trudged up the muddy cliff, out of the basin of the swamp where the gas was the heaviest. Up here, the air was at least clearer, but Konan was still coughing harshly. And although he saw a small fishing hut at the top of the hill, they couldn't exactly go in with their easily recognized Akatsuki cloaks. Still, he was desperate for Konan's sake. He paused under a wide tree and removed the cloaks, placing them inside his pack, along with his slashed rain village headband, then stared at the house cautiously.

From what he could tell, he was in the middle of nowhere, and so was this fishing family. It was unlikely that they had ever even heard of him, much less be able to recognize his face. True, his multiple piercings would have been hard to miss, but he had to risk it. Neither of them could stay outside after that poisonous gas. Without hesitation, he picked her up again and knocked on the door. A few people inside were laughing at some odd joke, and it stopped when he tapped ever so quietly. A long pause, then a woman answered the door.

"Eh? Visitors? What do you need?" She looked at Pein with wide eyes, wondering how the heck he had acquired so many piercings.

He needed to make something up. Fast. "I'm sorry to bother you, but we were on our way to town and we got lost in the swamp. The storm was so terrible, we tried to stop, but the rain stirred up poisonous gas and... you were the only one around." Well, ok, he didn't make that up. But really, it didn't matter if it was true or not. This sort of thing happened all the time in this country. It could happen to anyone.

"Oh! You know, this happened once last year." She then eyed Konan, who had passed out from the effects of the gas. "Oh dear, she breathed it in... You better come in right away."

"Thank you, miss...? Ah... what was your name?"

"Kumiko." She led them inside, past her other guests, introducing them in turn, and finally had him put Konan onto a guest bed. "Wait here, I'll go and get some medicine for her."

"Thanks."

Who knew how long he waited, it seemed like forever to him. It really hadn't been that long before Miss Kumiko returned, a bottle of clear medicine in hand. She watched Konan with a frown.

She withdrew a spoon from her apron and nodded. "Could you wake her for a moment? She needs to swallow this right away."

"Right." He held her up carefully, waking her as cautiously as he could. She was barely aware of what was going on, but managed to swallow the medicine before falling back asleep. He watched her with concern. "Will she be alright?"

Kumiko nodded, though she looked just as concerned. "Well, as long as she wasn't out there for too long, she'll be fine if you let her sleep it off." She considered something for a moment. "Mm... I don't think I asked your name yet."

Oh crap. He was terrible at making up names. It had taken him a week just to come up with the name for Akatsuki. What was a good name for a man? "Ah... Takumi. Fujiwara Takumi." He grimaced inside. That was a weird name to come up with. And what about Konan? He knew even less female names. And how would he describe their relationship? Well, it didn't really matter. Make something up! "Oh, and her name is Haruka. She... she's my wife. Haven't been together for very long." He grimaced inside again. Well, as long as it worked.

"Oh, I see. Well, she'll sleep for a while yet, how about you come and have something to eat? You look nearly starved to death."

Truthfully, he nearly was. He hadn't eaten in two days. But he wouldn't let hospitality go for free, and he passed a few yen notes to her. "Alright, thank you." He made up his mind to say as little as possible. Of all the people in the world right now, he was one of the most dangerous, and he needed to remember that. His temper needed to remain checked, and his odd comments needed to be left unsaid. Essentially, he needed to become someone completely different. For Konan's sake, he'd do it.

At the table, he sat quietly, watching as everyone else stared at him out of the corners of their eyes. Fine, stare, wonder where all those piercings came from. Wonder what kind of weirdo would be out wandering the swamps in this storm. As long as there was food, who cared what they thought. Instead of getting irritated by their constant surveillance, he waited patiently until a very full plate of food was placed before him. Oh yeah. This was definitely worth putting up with the stares. Then again, he had paid her handsomely. Not like Kakuzu was around to care what he spent his money on anyway. He was hungry, and he wanted to eat as much as possible right now! And although he tried to restrain himself enough to eat in a civil manner, it was quickly apparent that he hadn't eaten well in far too long.

But he wouldn't get away without scrutiny. One of the children at the table stared at him accusingly, and raised her finger to point rudely. "You have a lot of things on your face!"

He stopped in mid-bite, noodles hanging from his mouth ridiculously. But he stayed calm, and just shrugged, eating the rest of his bite. "Yeah. I like them. But you be a good kid and don't get any, alright." He grinned at the girl, forcing this smile out. Yet, he did mean what he said. She should grow up to be just as simple and innocent as her mother.

The girl stared with wide eyes. "EW! NO WAY!" She made a face and ran off.

He chuckled softly and shrugged. "Sorry."

But Kumiko laughed too. "No, don't worry, she-" She was interrupted as someone stepped softly into the room, and saw that Konan was awake and looking about curiously.

Pein stood up right away and hurried to her side. "Haruka, you shouldn't be up yet... you need to rest."

She looked up, understanding the name changes right away, but shook her head. "Can't sleep anymore, I'm too hungry."

Kumiko immediately pointed to an empty chair next to Pein's. "If you feel better, then we better get something into your stomach."

She nodded and Pein made sure to politely offer the chair, actng the role of the attentive spouse. It wasn't completely an act, he really was considerate at times. But still, she could tell that this was a direct hint that he had told these strangers that they were a young couple. She caught on fast, and took her chair, taking his hand and clasping their fingers together, making her own show of supposed affection. "Thank you very much, I suppose we should pay you something."

Kumiko shook her head. "Oh no, Takumi-san has already given us more than enough, you just eat whatever you like!"

"Thank you." She released her grip in favor of eating every last bite placed in front of her. Both of them had been forced to live off wild game and plants for weeks, and a full cooked meal like this was a treat.

Kumiko watched with awe as they both stuffed a ridiculously large amount of food down, wondering where it all went. "Goodness, you have quite the appetite! It must have been a long trip for you!"

Konan stayed silent, letting Pein make up the story. He nodded and gestured out the window with his chopsticks. "It's a funny story, actually. We've been wandering around ever since we met, and we got lost in that fog. I do promise to be more careful from now on." Well, not completely true. He never got lost. He had an insanely accurate sense of direction and place, and it was by far his best talent.

She smiled, thinking about that. "Wanderers since you met, how romantic!" The man next to her coughed and frowned, and she scoffed at him. "Kaito, honestly, after all these years... when will we ever go on a nice trip?"

Kaito frowned at her, and Konan decided to cut in. "It's not as grand as it sounds. Sometimes you have to wander through caves and eat nothing but rats and roots for days. You have it much better here in your home. I'm used to this, but I wouldn't suggest it to you."

"Mmm... it still sounds so interesting... where did you meet?"

Inside, she grimaced. She remembered the real first time she met Pein, so long ago, before he became Pein, before anything horrible happened. But she couldn't talk about that. She had to make something up. "We met in the country of Fire long ago, on the outskirts. I guess neither of us really belonged anywhere, so we had no problem leaving." She smiled, but felt very drowsy. Being full of good food and warm air made her tired, she noted. "I'm sorry, I'm really tired."

Pein stood up again, holding out his hand. "You need to rest, then. I know it's early, but I'm sure our hostess doesn't mind."

Kumiko shook her head. "Not at all. Just let me know if you need anything, I'll be right down the hall."

"Thank you." He followed Konan back into the guest room and shut the door, sighing and resting his head on the wall, and whispered to her. "That could have gone better."

But she smiled at him from her spot. "I think you did a pretty good job."

"I guess. It worked, anyway. But you need to rest, alright?" He sat down on a nearby chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose, forcing away a headache.

She nodded, but didn't stop looking at him. "Are you going to stay there all night?"

"I was planning to... I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's fine. I'd... I'd actually like it if you were here with me."

He looked somewhat surprised, but he nodded. "Alright." She probably just wanted some kind of comfort in this strange place, and he didn't mind. He edged into the space next to her, staying on his back and staring at the ceiling. For a while he just thought about nothing at all, just fixated on that blank stare.

But somehow she felt lonely, and she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating steadily, then increasing as he was startled by this odd affection. But for some reason he liked that, and his hand brushed idly through her hair, loosening any stray tangles, calming her down. For some reason, this calmed him too, and he wondered why in that moment before he calmed enough to fall asleep.

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NEXT TIME: Will interesting things happen? Will I have to change this to mature? Don't want me to? Read and Review, give me your feedback! 


	3. I would only ask it of you

Third chapter already, I must have no life. Oh wait. I don't. Ahh but being an art major does that to you, I suppose. Dang maybe I should have had an English minor at this rate. But I digress, you're probably saying "Yeah yeah get on with the story already!" Relax! These chapters are getting long, so chill ok? (also, hope you keep up with the manga... I will be adding more seeing as this timeline is current with what's going on right now) Also, when Zetsu comes in, his white half will talk in "Regular Sentences" and his black half will talk in "ALL CAPITALIZED SENTENCES"

Me: Hey Pein, would you like to give them the disclaimer?

Pein: You don't own me.

Me: Thank you Pein for your... unique disclaimer.

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Part 3 - "I would only ask it of you"

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Konan woke first, of course, stirring slowly from a very deep and restful sleep. But then again, anything softer than rocky ground meant a longer sleep than usual. She hadn't even moved from her spot on his chest, and she could again hear his heart beating a steady pace as he slept. For some odd reason she liked listening, just having a moment of peace to focus on something repetitive. When he was asleep, he didn't frown or shove his eyebrows together in a scowl, he was simply relaxed. She wished that somehow he could always be so calm, but knew that it wasn't possible.

She felt him tense as he woke suddenly and glanced at her. Once in a while he would wake that way, alert and ready; and still, every time it startled her. But he soon remembered where they were, and he relaxed again, looking at her blankly. Strangely, he felt somewhat affectionate towards her, watching the way she looked at him so curiously, wondering what she was thinking. Why did he care? Something about the frailty of the both of them brought out a suppressed urge to take anything he could get, even if it was just a glance or a hint of a smile. He wanted as much as she was willing to give him, and this longing, this unstoppable passionate fire, threatened to overwhelm him. Anything this strong would have forced him to its will had he not been so strong willed to begin with. Instead, he satisfied this craving by just touching her cheek, and her smile filled some of that gap.

Though he would have liked to stay there a while longer, they needed to start back home before anyone else woke up. It would be better to leave without a trace. She seemed to know what he was thinking, and got up first, then they both put everything in the room back in its former place, leaving no sign they had ever been there. Really, she would have loved to stay long enough for a nice hot bath, but she would have to wait until they made it back to the base. As stealthy as one would expect, the two snuck out into the light rain without a sound, leaving the house behind in only minutes. They finally put their cloaks back on, glad for the protection they offered from this rain.

The wind had finally died to but a whisper on their faces, and even the rain refused to sting them any longer. At long last the path was clear enough to make reasonable distance, and before long they had made it out of the rain country completely, seeing the sun shine down on their faces for the first time in weeks. The remainder of the rain storm misted down into the grass, and the angle of the sun created a large arched rainbow over the glowing hills. Only a few more miles to their hideout in the country of grass, one place the other countries paid little attention to. Fortunately they were never even spotted by border guards or even citizens. Thanks to his odd sense of direction, Pein could always find the path of least resistance. Soon the endless fields of grass gave way to what looked like little more than an old fallen tree, large and ancient. But of course they knew it was much more than that, and with a touch of his chakra, the base of the enormous stump slid aside to let them both enter.

Inside, only Kisame was there waiting, and he nodded as they passed by. But Pein stopped, and looked across to the older man. "Where's Itachi?"

Kisame shrugged, but grinned. "Had to do something to his younger brother, from what I could tell. Didn't tell me anything specific, except that he might take a while."

"Oh..." Was Itachi going to kill that boy once and for all this time? Seriously, why did he toy around like that? "Alright. Thanks." He nodded and left to the next room, Kisame staring after him as he left. What was up with Leader? Why the heck was he so polite? Normally if he heard about Itachi going off and doing this sort of thing on his own, he would have been completely irritated and would have demanded to know why he wasn't doing his missions. Then he would have asked why Kisame was here basically doing nothing. But for some reason, Leader didn't care, and he and Konan left him to gawk as they retreated into the back rooms. Soon after, Tobi came prancing through the hideout, his mask still covered with blue paint from last week's prank, and he skipped right up to Kisame and waved.

"Kisame-san! Eh? Where did Itachi go?"

Kisame frowned. Didn't anyone care what HE was up to? "He went after his brother. Leader was just in asking the same thing. Don't know where he is."

Tobi was strangely quiet for a second, then he nodded eagerly. "Then Tobi will talk to Leader! Byeeeeee Kisame-san! 3" He turned and skipped off to where Pein and Konan were both resting in the back lounge are, then returned to a completely serious pose as he talked to them. "Itachi is finally going to try to regain his full sight I assume?"

Pein thought for a moment. "I have no idea. What do you mean?"

"If his brother did indeed awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, then by taking his eyes, he will gain permament use of the Mangekyou Sharingan. I never thought he would follow my example so soon, but... already he's getting blind. He must be desperate."

"He what? Mm... anything else you want to tell me about?" He stared up at this person he knew as Uchiha Madara with a slight frown. True, he didn't want to anger the man, but really, he should have told him about this sooner.

Madara shrugged and scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "No, but... it would be a good idea if we could get the use of the Kyuubi before Itachi gets the idea to do the same. I wouldn't put it past him to search for the Jinchuuriki on his own if he gained that kind of power. I only hope he doesn't make the same mistakes that I did." He paused and removed his mask, scratching away the blue paint with a kunai. He looked terrible without his mask, to be completely honest. Over the many years he had accumulated all kinds of battle scars, one of them taking his left eye completely out of use. But his right eye still shone maniacally from the depths of his face, gleaming even in the darkness.

Although Pein was so accustomed to his own form of mutilation, he still couldn't stomach looking upon this man's face, even after all this time. He turned away until all of the blue paint had been scraped away and he replaced his mask. Then Pein nodded and turned back to him. "It's a terrible price, I know it as well as you do." His own Rin'negan both glimmered yellow, and he remembered all too well how he had gained them. "And what will you do while this is going on?"

"Not sure. I barely escaped from that pack of Konoha nin last time. I don't think I can go back there without encountering them again."

"I can't do that right now. We can't even capture a Jinchuuriki right now, we don't even have enough members to use the ritual anymore! I know you told us to capture him, but you're the only one that can control him at this point. I'll try to recruit more members in the meantime, but even then this is taking too long."

"Then I suggest you hurry. We can't let Itachi think that he can do this by himself." He nodded once more to them and left, reverting to carefree Tobi as soon as he was out the door. How the heck did he DO that so easily?

Konan sighed, but nodded. "He's right. Itachi has such a lust for power, if he gained the permanent Mangekyou, he may even become too much for us to handle. Then again, maybe his brother hasn't awakened the Mangekyou yet."

"That's possible. He seemed to want to do things his way instead of what his brother wanted him to do. Right now that's all we can hope for. We don't even know where he is, so we can't exactly stop him. Even that Ninetails boy has left without much of a trace. For the moment, all we can do is recruit some members and regain control."

"Mm... I wonder if Zetsu could be persuaded to find a few."

"If he managed to find Madara like that...! Of all the people to find out there... Yeah, I would definitely ask him to look."

"He should be back soon from his scouting, right?"

He nodded. "Right. But right now, I wouldn't mind some good food and a decent sleep..."

She smirked and stood up, suddenly excited. "Good idea! Oh, I really want to make grilled calamari, but don't tell Kisame!" She winked and rushed in the direction of the kitchen, leaving him to stare in confusion. Since when was she so joyful? Maybe she caught some of Madara's Tobi joy. He shook his head and sighed, then went into a different hall to the bathroom, needing a bath more desperately than food.

The water was almost too hot, but after being in the cold and wet of the rain country, he badly needed to warm up for a very long time. Just when he was about done, he could hear Konan hollering from all the way in the kitchen. "PEIN-SAMA! I made calamari for you too!" Only a second later, and he heard Kisame's return shout. "CALAMARI? Konan-sama, WHY do you do this every time I'm around??" Pein sighed but laughed to himself, then finished up, dressing in some fresh clothes he had taken in with him. He then entered the main area where Kisame was staring at the wall, looking almost green with disgust as Konan tried her calamari. She grinned and offered him a plate.

"Here, Pein-sama, it's much better this time."

He took it cautiously along with the chopsticks on the plate. It BETTER be much better this time... Fortunately, it was almost perfect, thank goodness. "Hey, it IS much better this time. What did you do differently?"

"I made a teriyaki glaze instead of that weird citrus kind. It would go great with some sashimi."

Kisame groaned and stood up. "That does it!" He grimaced and retreated into his room.

For some reason, Pein burst out laughing. It wasn't his usual light chuckle, it was a full blown fit of laughter. She stared at him with a wide eyed gaze, and realized she had never seen this before. But he just thought this was ridiculous, and at the same time he felt sorry for Kisame too. He took another bite of the calamari, trying to eat something, but finding it hard to stuff anything past this hilarity. Finally, he had calmed down enough to finish the last of his food, and saw that Konan was still staring. "What?"

"You... you were laughing!"

He shrugged, and nodded. "I couldn't help it. Once you started talking about glazes and sashimi, this picture of Kisame on a fish stick just-- it just popped into my mind, and I couldn't-" He smirked and held back a chuckle. "I couldn't stop laughing."

She put her hand over her mouth to hold back her own laugh. "Oh now you got me thinking about it too!" And vividly in her mind, there was poor Kisame the fishy-stick, and she also burst out laughing, nearly dropping her plate. "Poor guy, I don't know why I want to make calamari every time I see him, but I better not anymore!"

He winked at her. "Nah, maybe we can ask him to come around more often so you can think of more recipes."

She choked back another laugh and smacked his shoulder. "That's terrible!"

Just then, Zetsu phased through the floor of the hideout, and approached with a very worried look. "Pein-sama, you're not going to like what I found."

Pein's smile quickly drained off his face. "No, I bet not. Itachi?"

"HOW DID YOU GUESS? I found him, but he's in terrible shape. HE WILL PROBABLY DIE."

He nodded, somewhat already expecting this. But then he noticed that Zetsu was also injured, though he had made it a priority to report in. "How long do you think he has?"

"Hours, maybe a day. Less if he's lucky, he's in horrible pain. I WOULDN'T GIVE HIM LONGER THAN DUSK."

"...we should tell Kisame. He'd want to know."

Konan stepped out first in front of them. "No, better let me do it." She left the room and Zetsu also left to retrieve Itachi, leaving Pein to think about this alone. So he had failed, and was dying. And Zetsu was badly injured. So few of them left...! How could anything get done at this rate?

Zetsu returned first, carrying Itachi, the poor man bleeding all over the stone floor. No, it didn't look like Itachi would last very long at all. He wouldn't even make it through the night. His eyes were completely gone, and the rest of his body slashed beyond any healing. Even the greatest medical ninja could do nothing for him now. Konan and Kisame entered next, prepared for the worst, and this was indeed the worst. Kisame instantly came to Itachi's side, knowing that he was beyond help.

"Itachi-san! What happened?"

Itachi coughed, more blood hitting the floor, barely able to speak. "I told him about the secret about the Mangekyou Sharingan... and he... took my eyes... said he had no problem with... stealing from me instead... of killing a friend."

Pein was instantly on edge. "You mean HE now has the permanent Mangekyou?"

"He does... I... I'm not going to live, am I?"

Kisame was the only one who could tell him the truth. "No, Itachi-san."

He took that surprisingly well. "He was supposed to be my second... but I suppose... he was finally able to... get his revenge. Kisame?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Please finish me off. I'm... I'm just going to suffer anyway. I... don't want anyone else to do it."

Kisame thought about this for a second, and nodded. "You really want me to... don't you?"

Itachi managed a small smile. "I wouldn't have asked... if I didn't."

Kisame paused for a moment, then looked up at the rest of them. But they all knew that it was the truth. It would be far kinder to put him out of his misery. "Alright, I'll do it. Just leave us alone for a minute alright?" He picked Itachi up and took him outside for one last moment before the end. Pein watched with increasing sorrow, knowing how hard this was for him to do. Apart from himself and Konan, those two had been the only Akatsuki pair that had remotely respected each other on a personal level, and they had probably even become close friends. None of them even spoke while he was out there, and when he returned, he didn't speak. And in that silence, six became only five.

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Next time: What will become of Kisame now that his only friend in the world is gone? What will become of the Akatsuki? And what about Pein and Konan? Will they ever realize what they are to each other? Be sure to read the next chapter! 


	4. That silent night

Am I already writing the fourth segment? Well, only two reviews on the entire story so far, makes me a little sad! But for you who review, and for you who lurk, your attention has not been ignored. But first, Konan would like to give you the disclaimer today. 

Konan: Me? SecretSheik doesn't own us.

Me: My readers want me to write a lemon about you, Konan.

Konan: blush Oh my...

Kisame: I'd rather see some lemonade.

Konan: Kisame-san! I'd love to make some for you! the only problem is that she puts the lemonade inside a fish shaped pitcher

Kisame: ARGH! KONAN! Why do you do this to me??

Me: ...ok anyway... you wanted lemons, I gave you lemonade. Enjoy the fic.

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Part 4 - "That silent night"

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The loss of Itachi had to have been one of the greatest blows to the Akatsuki they had faced yet. His talents were too great, and honestly they had relied on him too much. And now he was dead, Kisame was despondent, Zetsu was badly wounded, and only Tobi, Pein and Konan were left intact. Three would never be enough to even function, much less gain control of the Jinchuuriki. Pein had never considered that his formerly elite group would be reduced to this pathetic excuse of an organization. The few left would need to be protected. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

"All of you... I'm sorry, but until we find more members, we need to stick together. No more teams, we will all report to each other equally. We need to condense, and conserve our forces. As much as I hate saying it... for now, we have to retreat and lay low, buy some time. We can't do anything as we are now."

Kisame, still staring at the ground, nodded in approval. "I don't like it either, but it is the wisest choice." He looked up and stared at Pein directly. "It takes a good leader to know when to pull back and regroup."

Pein seemed surprised at this unexpected compliment, but received it with grace. "Thank you, Kisame. And Tobi...?"

Tobi stepped forward. "Yes, Pein-sama?"

"No use hiding yourself anymore around us. You can quit the act."

His voice dropped into a lower tone that he used only in his Madara state. "Understood. But I am very worried about the other Uchiha, what was his name... Sasuke? If he took Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan, he may be able to learn... that technique too. The more time we spend regrouping and gaining forces, the more time he has to learn more about the Sharingan's true potential. As I am now... I'm not even half of what I used to be. If he learns that technique, neither of us will be able to match him."

"I know. But even if we go after him now, we would be done. We're not in any shape to fight him unless we all did it at the same time. But if he also regroups, and goes back to his village... and finds that ninetails boy... we would be done there too. He might even be there already. All we can do right now is to try to regain whatever power we can to save the organization."

Kisame scoffed and stared back at the floor. "Whatever's left of it. They're getting too strong. There's just not enough time to get all of it done!"

"No, that's the main problem... not enough time. Not even enough choices."

Tobi nodded. "Our only choices aren't very good ones. First is to regroup and wait it out in secret. Not the best idea, but the best way to at least stay alive. Second is to try and capture Sasuke or the Ninetails and kill or incapacitate them. Also not the best idea nor the safest. The third... well, it would never work."

"Probably not, but... let's hear it anyway."

"Alright, but the third would be to incite more war and pick off the nations after they have been weakened. It's not honorable or safe, and not a good idea at all, but... it would be the most effective. Not like we can go into Konoha and unleash hell on our own."

He thought for a second, and an idea came to mind. "Mm... can't we? Zetsu-san, tell me, you watched the ninetails boy fight Orochimaru, right?"

Zetsu nodded. "THAT'S RIGHT, HE WAS FORMIDABLE. I've never seen Orochimaru so hard pressed to win a battle like that."

"Right. And you said that he completely lost himself once the fourth tail formed?"

"Yes, he could no longer distinguish friend from foe. BUT THEN THE ONE WITH THE WOOD JUTSU INTERVENED, AND STOPPED THE TRANSFORMATION."

"So, theoretically, we would only have to stop the wood ninja in order to keep him from sealing the Kyuubi away."

Tobi came closer, excited. "I think I know what you're getting at. If we can stop him, and then anger that boy within his village and then escape, who knows what kind of havoc he would do before he could be stopped...! He would practically do our work for us. As for that copy of the late First... I wouldn't mind dealing with him myself."

Kisame, finally encouraged, joined in. "I could use my chakra to summon dense waves to provide distraction long enough to isolate the wood nin. And if the pink haired one is with them, you better leave her to me. If Samehada can absorb her chakra, she won't be able to do as much damage. Plus if we hurt her, the ninetails boy will definitely get angry."

Pein bit his lip nervously. "Yeah, Deidara told me about that little medic nin. Ridiculous physical strength imbued with chakra to give extra power. You would definitely be the best one of us to outlast her. We need to focus on isolating the Kyuubi boy and luring him back towards a populated area. This might actually work... even if we can't get his Bijuu right now, we can at least force him to unleash it."

Tobi fidgeted and agreed. "It's a desperate measure, but we have to act quickly. They are moving even as we speak, and we can't afford to lose them."

Konan remembered something too. "We also need to be ready to get out of the way once he does unleash the Kyuubi. I can cover our escape with my paper storm, but we need to time things right. But we definitely shouldn't kill either the wood nin or the medic. If we take them as hostages, then the Kyuubi boy will probably remain in that form until he finds us or he dies."

Pein nodded. "Good plan. I can summon my other Aspects to lure him anywhere we need him to go. Though I would hate to lose more of them, they are far more disposable than we are. If they do all get killed, I suppose we could use clones, though from a distance they aren't very reliable."

Zetsu clutched his side, still bleeding. "I need to heal before we do anything. I'm sorry."

"Yes... we need you at your best, since you would do so much scouting. Alright, we'll have to chance waiting until tomorrow morning. I can't give you any longer."

"I WILL BE FINE BY MORNING. Thank you Pein-sama, I understand."

"And Tobi, stick close to Kisame tomorrow, make sure he stays safe. Nothing personal, Kisame, but we can't lose you too."

But Kisame grinned and took this well. "You just want me for my chakra! No problem, Leader."

Though the room was full of visible smiles and a shadow of hope, underneath lay a pang of doubt and uncertainty. It was a desperate, insane plan of action, crazy enough to actually work, but dangerous enough to be the end of them all. Yet, if they kept low and did nothing, it would also be the end of them. Better to go down with the knife in the throat instead of in the back. They weren't ready to die yet. No, not without one last blow to the enemy. He remembered how Deidara had died, suiciding in an attempt to kill Sasuke. Privately, he wished that he could die like that.

Before long, night fell, and Pein was the only one not sleeping. He stared at the ceiling in his room, thinking about his plan. Many people would die, more than those that died in all his previous missions. Why did that bother him so much? Why did he want to avoid destroying too much? That WAS the plan after all - divide and conquer. Which involved destroying as much as possible. It would show everyone what true pain was. And yet... yet somehow, it seemed like too much. Too much blood being shed, too much pain and suffering. Why did he care if they suffered? That was his original plan, he even told that to Jiraiya before he died. Why did he suddenly not want to do this?

He heard a soft tap on his door. Who could still be up at this hour? He muttered for whoever it was to go ahead and let themselves in, and Konan edged into the room quietly. She fidgeted nervously and tilted her head. "Sorry, couldn't sleep."

But he shook his head. "I can't either." He sat up on the edge of his bed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Somehow I keep feeling bad about what we intend to do."

She nodded and sat next to him. "You do too...? I hoped it wasn't just me."

"No... I really feel bad about it. I even wish we could just wait it out. I really do, but I wish I knew why! Why do I feel so horrible about this? It... it was my goal from the beginning to destroy everything, everyone... end it all once and for all."

She thought very carefully before saying anything. "Maybe you know, deep inside, that this isn't the only way to solve things. Some part of you is telling you that there are other options besides complete destruction. And... you know what?"

He smiled weakly. She really did look adorable with just the moonlight on her. It made the rest of her as blue as her hair, and she seemed almost ethereal, glowing like that. "What do you think, Konan?"

She smiled an honest smile. "I would agree with that part of you. There must be another way. Something that would end just... just a little bit better." She tilted her head again, that curious look back on her face. Something about the way she looked at him made him believe her, he would have believed anything she told him at that moment. He wanted to believe her, to think that there could be another way, that tomorrow everything would be alright and they wouldn't have to kill anymore. Somehow, deep inside his usual Aspect that looked so much like Yahiko, the true feelings of this Aspect struggled for dominance in his strange composite personalities. Somewhere, the Yahiko Aspect told him that there was another way to end the wars without bloodshed.

He struggled to answer her, his personalities conflicting for the very first time. "I... you're right, Konan. But what should we do?"

"You won't like my answer..."

He shrugged. He really didn't care if he didn't like it anymore. "Tell me anyway."

She paused, then looked away. "The only way we can end this now is to call off the attack."

He nodded thoughtfully, expecting this answer. "Right. It does bother me, but in a way, I was hoping you'd say that." But suddenly his head ached as his other personality threatened to take over. It was a violent personality, wanting no less than utter destruction in every direction. And above all, it wanted to silence his kinder half, and force him to do as it wished. Internally he struggled with it, his hands gripped around his skull in some vain attempt to make that voice stop.

Konan watched this, worried about him. She was aware of his different Aspects, but she had never known they could disagree, or that it would cause him so much pain. And somehow, in the midst of the conflict, she saw the Aspect of Yahiko flash across his face, being dormented by the other, more violent Aspects, and she had to do something. "Y-Yahiko?? You have to fight them!"

His face contorted with the effort of holding all the others back. Even though one was already gone, they still outnumbered him severely. The pain was so horrible, tears started running down his cheeks. He hadn't cried at all in so long... but the sheer agony was enough to make every part of his body feel it. And though he would never explain how it happened, or how it even worked, somehow the Yahiko Aspect pushed the rest of them back into the recesses of his mind, leaving him tormented but clear minded. he shuddered as every nerve protested the exercise, and let himself cry from the terror of the battle. "I... NO! I'm not Pein! I'M NOT! I'm... I'm Yahiko! I can't agree with them anymore!"

Konan instantly held him close to her, hugging him tightly. "No, you're not Pein anymore... you can't listen to them, they'll just make you kill again!" She held his head to her chest, burying her face close to him, desperately trying to say something, ANYthing that might help. "I knew you were still there, Yahiko... all this time they were just suppressing what you really believed."

He then looked at her with his mind finally clear, and finally saw her for what she was to him. "Konan... I'm... what have I been doing all this time? What have I done to you?"

She brushed a tear out of her eye with haste, trying to be strong for his sake. "You haven't done anything to me. I'm... I'm just fine."

"I never meant to hurt you." He stared at her, again putting his hand to her cheek, just like that time before, but now he didn't hesitate to tell her anything. "Believe me, I'd never do that to you. I did it to protect you, because... because I loved you so much. But I didn't know they would make me do this to you."

So he did love her after all. That was why he went to such extremes, that was why he was so protective, keeping her away from everyone else, overreacting when she was hurt. That was why he fought so hard to regain who he really was. He loved her, and she knew that she would always love him in return. "I know you did it for me. But... from now on, just be yourself. I don't want you to be anyone else. Even if you make mistakes, and hurt people, even me, I want you to be who you really are. I love you too, and I only want the real you. Just do that much for me."

He nodded, a smile just grazing his lips. "Alright. No matter what happens tomorrow, I promise you I'll be myself. I-" She put a finger on his lips, and shook her head.

"No, no more about that. Let's not talk anymore." Before he could say anything else, she silenced him forcibly with her own lips, kissing him far deeper than ever before, not caring about what might happen the next day. Though he was still new to this sort of thing, he responded favorably, holding on to her waist, returning her affection as best as he knew how. She was a bit more creative, having the heart of an artist, and whether it was to his pleasure or his disdain - he wasn't quite sure what it was - she insisted on maintaining her dominance, and was a bit more forceful than he expected. No, wait, it wasn't disdain, he liked this. He liked these new emotions that she brought him into. Heck, he didn't mind giving in to her affections, even if it did force him to be submissive. He wanted everything she had to give, though he made sure to return every last bit of it in turn, sharing alike in whatever this sudden passion had to lend to them.

Even as they lost all sense of time, it didn't matter. No, even if he lost his innate sense of place to get lost in this spiral of emotional surges, neither of them minded in the least, glad to be lost in something, anything that kept them from thinking of anything else, lost for what seemed forever in that silent night.

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Next time: What WILL happen tomorrow anyway? Will I finally get more graphic for the sake of my readers? More interesting things are guaranteed to happen, so please read and review, leave feedback. Detailed feedback is always appreciated too, and I read all of them! Be sure to stick around for the next chapter!


	5. Trust, or Lack Thereof

Good grief, I've been getting some really nice reviews! I'm trying my best to make everything at least contain some decent English skill, hopefully some of you are relaxing at the thought, I know I am. I keep getting requests for lemons, hehe. Well, I AM rating it mature now, because the idea I had for this chapter contains tons of violence. Hey, it's the Akatsuki, they're evil. Usually. So will this contain a lemon, you're wondering? BAH... I guess y'all want that eh? We'll see. I'll do it if I feel like it. At 12 AM I never know what I'm writing anyway. 

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Part 5 - "Trust, or Lack Thereof"

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Uchiha Madara waited for the wood nin patiently, knowing from his sources that he would be coming through today. It had been the best stroke of luck that the Akatsuki had had in quite some time. The wood nin "Yamato" as well as the medic nin, the Kyuubi boy, and one that he knew to be Hatake Kakashi were all coming together. That copy ninja would be a pain, especially if he managed to use the Mangekyou Sharingan. Right now, he was the only one that concerned Madara, being in such a weakened state. But the plan would go quite well if they split as planned. Pein would take the copy ninja, leaving Kisame, Konan, Zetsu and himself to capture the rest. Capture... not kill. That didn't sit well in Madara's mind, but the Leader seemed to have a plan.

Pein slipped quietly through the forest, waiting in his own decided position. His steady gaze concentrated on the path ahead. Konan waited above him hidden in the branches, using her keen sight to scout ahead. He trusted her to be his eyes, and patiently slid against the rough bark of the tree, anxious. It would only be a capture, that's all he had told everyone else, even Konan. Even she didn't know what his entire plan was, only that he didn't intend to kill anyone just yet. She trusted him to do the right thing.

Kisame waited next to a river, poised near his most comfortable habitat. Truthfully, he didn't know what the hell was going on anymore. He had finally been told the entirety of Tobi's identity, and what he was really capable of, and even big brutish Kisame paled at the thought of another Mangekyou Sharingan on the loose. Not to mention this guy could use his without going blind. He would have been invincible if not for some unspoken incident that left him so weak.

Zetsu was hidden well near the front to act as reconnaissance for any action that may come from the village. He blended perfectly into the forest, his chakra dispersed into the foliage easily, becoming one with his surroundings. When he did this, he felt a strange pang of remembrance, of a time before the Akatsuki. Back when he led a normal life in the grass country. He reminded himself of the task at hand, and paid close attention.

Konan let a red butterfly into the air. Target sighted. Yamato led the group of ninjas, though it didn't appear they were on any sort of mission. They were off guard, and for a ninja that was a deadly fault. She let a yellow butterfly up. Target is at ease. This was indeed the best chance they would ever get. Only a few more feet. Kakashi hesitated near the tree where Zetsu was hiding, staring at the bark oddly. He seemed suspicious... time to act before he became more so! Finally a white butterfly flew directly up. Attack!

A flurry of motion filled the air as Madara pounced on the wood nin, Konan caught Sakura, Pein dueled with Kakashi, and Kisame dealt with Naruto. Zetsu hung back, a reinforcement, and watched their backs. No other opposition. Yamato tried furiously to form a hand seal, but Madara held him stiffly, his mask bumping into his nose as he tried to stop the man's struggle. Kakashi had somehow managed to run around to the side and backtracked, trying to help Yamato. He sliced his kunai directly at Madara, and scored a direct hit. Hell, Madara could barely see what he was doing in the first place with this struggle. But when Kakashi's kunai struck, the mask shattered to pieces, revealing him completely. Kakashi turned the most interesting shade of white, somewhat like his hair, and he dropped his weapon in complete shock. Uchiha Madara... was very much alive.

He stared at Madara, breathless. "We never had a chance..."

Sakura struggled in Konan's hold. "Kakashi! Why aren't you fighting back?"

But he shook his head, turning his sharingan eye in her direction. "This man is Uchiha Madara. We would never... he's too much for us on his own. With the others here, we were done in long before we even started."

Her eyes widened. "Uchiha...? But... but how?"

Madara glared like a maniac, his face disgusting with the sheer loss of sanity. "Itachi never meant to kill me, he was my accomplice. We destroyed our pitiful clan together, leaving only his brother. That turned out to be his undoing, but... I've lived so long now, I knew well how to escape from everyone's eyes. I laid in wait for many years until I could gain control of the Kyuubi and unleash it on Konoha."

Kakashi stared in disbelief. "You started Konoha with the first Hokage, why would you want to destroy it? How did you even live this long?"

Pein instantly popped up behind Kakashi, putting a kunai to his throat. "Enough talk. You're all coming with us. We won't kill you or your friends. Just come quietly."

Kakashi nodded, knowing when to give in. Pein held in a slight smile at this, suddenly reminded of himself. It took a good leader to know when to back down. No wonder this ninja had gained such fame. Not only did he have talent and the Sharingan, but his leadership skills were superb. The other ninjas followed his example, allowing themselves to be led by the Akatsuki into yet another secret base. Well, not secret anymore, but they had plenty of other unseen bases. One could be given up. From there, all of them gathered in the main living area where the Akatsuki nin placed themselves strategically near any exits. Whether by some freak urge or something else, he never knew, Pein motioned kindly for the Konoha ninjas to have a seat. He wanted to talk.

He started by observing the Kyuubi vessel, the one named Naruto. The boy was trying hard to stay still and not mouth off, which was commendable. Pein then looked to Kakashi impassively, pointing at Naruto. "Tell me... is there a way to remove the Kyuubi without killing him?"

The whole room was stunned. Even Konan raised an eyebrow at this. But he was perfectly serious, and Kakashi shook his head. "Not that we know of yet."

Finally, as expected, Madara protested. "Why would we need to bother with that? We already have a good means of extracting it."

Pein glared at him maliciously, silencing him. "I'd rather not kill him if there were another way of doing so. It... isn't necessary."

Sakura leaned forward, curious. "You guys... really mean that, don't you?"

He had to be careful. Madara would be furious if he found out. Heck, they all would, but at least the others wouldn't want to kill him. He looked up at Konan with a slight glare, then over at Madara, and her gaze turned from inquisitive to concerned, then she moved over to Madara carefully. He then sighed and nodded. "I... want to destroy the Bijuu without destroying their vessels. These creatures are unnatural beings, used only for mass destruction and chaos. Getting rid of them would be to... everyone's benefit."

Madara was, of course, furious. "WHAT? I thought we had a deal, Pein! I would get the Kyuubi, and you would get your vision of complete destruction! What are you doing?"

Pein, still impassive, stared at him. "I wanted a world without war, without violence, lacking in everything that brought hatred. I thought that ending the world would end the violence, and although that would be true, there are... other ways to end the violence." He raised his chin above his cloak, a genuine smile on his face for the first time since any of them had known him. "If we destroy these unnatural beings, the countries will stop fighting over them. Or, at the very least, the conflict will lessen severely. Your plans no longer coincide with mine. Choose your path. Which will it be?"

Madara lurched forward and Konan was on him in an instant, holding him back. But he was physically stronger than she was, and he pushed her off. His lone eye glowing red menacingly, he strode forth to face Pein directly. "I will no longer follow your path! I will do things on my own, starting with you!" He punched Pein swiftly under the chin, tossing the leader back several feet. In the short distance, he activated the Mangekyou Sharingan, staring straight into Pein's eyes. But Pein wasn't a fool. He knew well about these eyes and how to counter them. That's how they recruited Itachi, after all. Pein easily countered the man's already waning strength with his own powerful, hypnotic gaze, staring like endless pools of gold struck by a single rock, ripples spreading slowly. For what was a short time to everyone else, they dueled silently for dominance, and in the end, the Rin'negan, the ultimate eye technique, won over the Sharingan.

But Madara was not to be so easily outdone, and he attacked Pein with a kunai in the brief moment of weakness after using so much chakra. Indeed, Madara had learned something of the leader's weaknesses, and didn't mind exploiting them. In that split second, it seemed like Pein was done for, not seeing the attack coming in time. Time slowed. He opened his eyes. He saw the knife too late. Something obscured his view. Konan took the brunt of the hit in her left shoulder, eyes furious with hatred. "YOU... You will be the first to know my true wrath!" She grabbed his arm, still holding on to the kunai, and twisted at his joints severely until he yelled in pain. She was physically weaker, but she knew all too well about hand joints after so many marathon days folding origami.

Her eyes so rarely held any emotion at all. They only stared serenely forward, never turning fierce or loving, just that calm, practiced quiet. She made an exception to this self imposed rule, and her eyes lit with an inner fire that had quelled so deeply through her devotion to Pein. She loved him. If this pleased him, she would torture Madara right here and now. No, it pleased her. It pleased her, and she would even do it for herself. Her hand twisted farther, tormenting the man as parts of her paper jutsu swirled all around him, shredding his Akatsuki cloak to less than shreds, then his skin underneath the same way. He collapsed on the ground from the torment of being shredded to death, screaming in horrible agony, making even the impassive Pein cringe.

It took a full ten minutes for Madara to bleed to death on the floor, tormented to his last breath. A long span of time passed before any could think of a single thing to say. None wanted to speak and suddenly realize this wasn't a dream. Finally, Zetsu broke the silence.

"SHALL I DISPOSE OF HIM?"

Pein nodded slightly, recognizing in that rude tone that Zetsu planned to follow his leader's path. He looked to Kisame, who shrugged. Not like he had anywhere left to go. Konan was still staring at the floor in shock, but he sensed her loyalty. He rose from the ground, touching her shoulder carefully. "We need to get Konan some bandages first."

Some crazy kindred emotions must have made her do it, but Sakura stood cautiously, approaching the two of them. "You really want to destroy those monsters, don't you?"

Pein looked at Konan, who nodded to him, and he stared back at Sakura. "Yes. At first I wanted this world to be open to people like... people like us. Freaks of nature. Bloodline traits that wouldn't be recognized as valid. I lost sight of what I wanted, and I made a grievous error in judgement. And Konan..." He slid his chin back into his cloak, hiding the blush seeping across his face.

Konan took over for him. "I made him remember. And I will follow him until the end."

Sakura watched their very serious expressions, then reached out to pull the kunai from Konan's shoulder. "Don't move, I'll heal it for you." Her green chakra embedded itself into the wound, and she slowly healed as she pulled, making sure to block any blood vessels that might lead to serious bleeding. After a few minutes, the wound was completely healed, and she inspected her shoulder carefully. "It should be fine, but take it easy for a while."

Konan watched with increasing interest, her pale eyes flicking to green ones. "Why did you do that for me? Aren't we... enemies?"

Sakura pursed her mouth pensively. "I wouldn't... It would be a good idea if those monsters were destroyed. They were never meant to be here in the first place."

Pein looked shocked, and he stared at the other Konoha ninjas. "You... want to do it to?"

Kakashi thought long and hard, but nodded. "It would be difficult."

Naruto, confused as usual, looked at Kakashi. "I dunno what's going on, but I guess this fox has been nothing but trouble to the village. Right?"

Yamato also considered this, and oddly agreed. "This would be a strange venture, working along with you this time. But what do you intend? You can't suddenly turn over a new leaf overnight. You're the Akatsuki..."

Pein nodded, expecting this logic. "No, not overnight. We won't expect you to trust us, but I for one don't wish to work against you anymore. We walk the same path, strive for the same goals. And we want to do it with... little bloodshed."

Kisame frowned in Pein's direction, and held out his hands in confusion. "Leader-sama, what are we supposed to do, though? All we know is this constant fighting... do you really want to lead the Akatsuki into peaceful terms?"

"Not just the Akatsuki, everyone." He looked at every member in the room with a sudden gleam of need; he wanted them to understand the vision he now had for them. "Think about it. A peaceful world where talented people like us can be accepted, can live out our lives without being shunned or stared at. Kisame, you know quite well how hard that is." The sharklike man glanced down at himself and nodded once. Pein turned to Zetsu. "And you too. I know you remember sometimes what it was like. Before you knew hatred and suffering. Before war and famine tugged at you and forced you into my service. And Konan..." He turned to her with a kind smile. "We both know, don't we? Perhaps... we can understand these Jinchuuriki for what they really are. They are like us. Outcasts because someone desperately sealed a Bijuu inside their bodies. They never asked for this torment. We never did. They are... our kin, and it would be right for us to correct what has been done to them."

She smiled back, amazed by this short but inspiring speech. "If we can find a way, then I will follow you as always, Pein."

He stared at her, a smile just curling the edge of his mouth. "No, not Pein. The others are gone now, I severed them completely. Now... I'm just Yahiko."

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(A/N: Even though he is now referring to himself as Yahiko, for the sake of consistency I'll still be referring to him as Pein when I talk about him in the third person. Why? It's hard for me to type Yahiko, I keep wanting to mix the h and k... so please humor me.)

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It was ludicrous, to say the least, to allow the Akatsuki to work together with the Konoha ninjas. But here they were, in Tsunade's office, proposing the most ridiculous idea she had ever heard in her life. But their faces were completely serious. They really wanted to destroy the Bijuu without harming their hosts, in an attempt to rid the world of these weapons of mass destruction. Their leader had even graciously offered to pay a gold tribute in a sign of good faith, as well as aid in any missions that would result in finding another method of extracting a Bijuu. She had no idea what to say to this.

She hesitated, the terms laid out before her. "Your crimes are heavy against both your countries and mine. I can't just accept this. Even if you mean what you say, the people would never accept this. As the Hokage, I keep their thoughts in mind, you understand."

Pein nodded. "I understand well. A good leader must always follow what he or she finds best for their people, while still keeping that in mind. It's hard to gauge one then the other, and it can never be completely balanced."

She had to hand it to the man - he was charismatic. "Despite your... previous intentions, I would agree that you have led your organization well. But again, we can't openly work with you, nor can we give you any sort of protection."

"I did not expect so, but I figured I would at least try the formalities. No, I would like to propose other terms. We will continue to work on our own, and you will... ignore us. While out on our journeys, we would be glad to hunt for Orochimaru's subordinate, and take care of him once and for all. This isn't part of our original plan, but I would like to do this as a token of our... generosity. As for the Kyuubi, we won't go anywhere near Konoha again until we find another means of taking care of it. Until then, we will hunt down the Bijuu without a host and kill them, as well as destroy the ones we have already collected. All we would need until then is lack of attention."

This was a dangerous proposition for both of them. If the Hokage was openly known to be ignoring the Akatsuki, things could go horribly wrong. Although, she trusted every member in this room to keep their mouths shut. Things could go just as poorly for the Akatsuki, and she knew that they understood this. They were desperate. They... meant what they said. With a sigh, she nodded. "We will ignore you, but if you do come into the village without good reason, I will not hesitate to put out guards. I cannot be seen ignoring you so openly, and it would violate the terms anyway."

He lowered his head respectfully. "Understood. We will abide by these terms."

"Fine. Deal with Kabuto, then have one of your members report back." She looked over the members carefully, deciding whom she felt to be the most reasonable. Her eyes stopped at Konan. "Her. I would like it if she would be the one to report to me."

He didn't even need to look up to know whom she was addressing, and he nodded. "If that is what you wish, I will have Konan meet with you."He couldn't believe himself. He had actually bargained with the Hokage of Konohagakure! He, the never hesitating, never yielding, and certainly NEVER respectful one, had come to terms with their biggest threat.

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For some reason, Konan and Sakura related very well to each other. Sakura had volunteered to keep watch over Akatsuki for the time being, and also to make sure that Konan was healing properly. They weren't allies, exactly, but she wanted to help anyway. And from that time, the two kunoichi had developed a friendship with each other. Konan never really thought about how much a female friend would mean to her, but now that she had one, she wished that she had thought of it sooner.

The medic nin was invaluable in the coming days, providing care for Konan and anyone else that might need it. She even risked checking over Zetsu, who had retreated into his room to tend to his wounds by himself. That girl wouldn't take no for an answer, and had even broken down the stone door with her chakra imbued fist. After a brief struggle, he allowed her to heal him, though not without her having to practically pry open the plant's jaws to get a look in his eyes. Konan would admit to herself that she laughed at this. Something about this girl's in-your-face attitude really livened the place up.

After the first day of everyone tensely staring at each other, Sakura had become just a bit more comfortable around the others, and even taught Konan a few basic healing techniques just in case. She had been shocked that none of them knew how to heal anything unless it was to stick a bandage on and let it wait. As if missing nin really learned these kinds of things! The rogues had learned how to cause damage, not repair it! And it was this very fact that had kept them in the middle of this violence for so long. Finally, after the two kunoichi had become comfortable with talking on a regular basis, Sakura hesitated slightly before asking a very personal question.

"Konan-san... can I ask you something?"

Konan glanced up from her tea with that same serene gaze she always had. "Alright."

"It's... kinda personal, actually, you don't have to answer if you don't want."

She tilted her head slightly, wondering what she could possibly ask. "No, go ahead. It's fine, really."

Sakura hesitated again, nervous. "Er... what is your relationship to the leader?"

"Relationship? What do you mean?"

She did her best to hold back a blush. "Is... are you... together? I mean, married or something like that? It just seems that... I don't know..."

Konan tilted her head back to its regular spot, thinking about this before answering her. No, they weren't married, they didn't even do much of anything until recently. "We're not. We've just... always been together since we were young." But she blushed slightly and Sakura smiled just a bit.

"Oh, but you were hoping differently?" Her grin widened, her perception completely accurate. Konan DID wish for something... more. Some deeper connection beyond the ties of long years spent together in silence.

"I think I do. We don't talk much, and only recently has he even bothered to ask me what I thought about our plans. I always followed his lead, trusting that whatever he did was the right path. But I don't want to follow blindly in silence, I want something... else."

Sakura had matured quite a bit in the past few years, true, but she was still too young to offer much advice. But in a way, Konan's growth had been just as stunted, even though she was much older than Sakura. By never having friends, never trusting anyone but her own partner, she hadn't learned the same way. Sakura understood this much, at least, and gave the only advice she could. "I would just follow my heart if I were you. Even if he rejects you, and I'm sure he won't, it's still better than never knowing. I know he cares, he just has a hard time showing it. He's... kinda like Sasuke, cold and reserved, but underneath he really does want to belong somewhere."

She nodded slowly, thinking this over. It was worth a shot. "I'll do what I can. Thanks for the advice." She looked over at the pink haired ninja, thinking curiously that they both looked like odd flowers with their hair color being so different. Had things been different, they could have been like sisters.

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Final segment - "This is EXACTLY what it looks like" (A/N: chucks a lemon at her fan girls)

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Pein sat tensely on the chair inside his room, watching outside as the rain fell steadily from the sky. Even when he was perfectly calm, he couldn't help but make it rain once in a while to feel a bit better. The silence was only broken by the slap of water on stone, sliding down the rifts in the mud. Silence, clean and light, feeling like a burden lifted from him, once again broke as a slight tap sounded on his door. This didn't disturb him at all from his study of the rain outside even as he called out to come in. Konan approached so quietly he didn't know she had come in at all until she was there at his side, leaning near to watch the rain with him.

Normally she didn't like it when he made it rain on a nice day, but for some reason she was content to watch. From behind, she slipped down further, arms around his shoulders, her head resting there next to his, and he was a bit puzzled by her affection. Yet as puzzled as he was, he didn't turn around and confront her, he just reached up to touch her hair, examining the blue wisps carefully.

She leaned close enough for him to hear her whisper. "I don't want to follow you anymore. I want to be beside you, not behind."

He felt even more puzzled now. Beside, not behind? His whisper was barely audible to her. He didn't even mean for it to be heard. "You were never less than me, Konan."

Her hand stroked his neck idly. "I know. But you do too much on your own. I want you to be able to depend on me. You don't have to deal with your pain alone. We have the same pain, let's heal it together."

He never could explain why, but at that moment he felt more calm than ever before, strangely comforted by her words. To depend on her... let her take some of the pain, and he would take some of hers... To heal it together... That appealed to him. The barest of sighs escaped from him, and he nodded almost imperceptibly, but she knew him far too well to miss either of these things. She was too tuned to his mannerisms, his rare moments of weakness, his times of thought and need. He was everything to her, and he realized this as she remained there, content to wait until he had more to say. She would always wait patiently, though he didn't want to keep her waiting too long.

He turned slightly to look at her, just watching as she stared out at the rain, and slid his hand down her cheek, turning her to face him. She didn't wait for any signals, and kissed him carefully from her very awkward perch on his shoulder, bending around enough to reach him easily. This was a difficult position for her to be in, and in some freak comic moment, her heel slipped on the stone floor and fell to the ground laughing. He couldn't help but laugh with her, helping her off the ground as he stood up.

She still smirked as she rose off the ground. "I guess I'm still clumsy."

He smiled, remembering back when she had still been a child, always falling down and crying, but getting back up to smile anyway. "Just a little." Even back then, she had tried to be strong, tried not to cry. She would be strong for his sake, and for a second he wondered how it would be to see her weak again, needing him as much as he needed her. He wanted to see it, see that need come into those perpetually calm eyes. He wanted her to need him, and not her blind loyalty. He wanted... he wanted her beside him, not behind.

Before she could say anything else, he was the one to silence her with his own lips, not wanting to hear this talk anymore. He wanted to complete this circle of trust, to rely on her as much as she relied on him, dancing that dangerous waltz of give and take, balancing precariously on the thread of devotion connecting them. And before he could stop himself, before he could realize what he was doing, he took her into his grasp as he kept kissing her, determined to never let her go. This time it was his turn to show her what he wanted, even to struggle for dominance.

They were evenly matched, neither giving up control, each struggling to maintain what little control was left. Somewhere in the struggle, both of their cloaks found their way to the floor, the two dispelling any boundaries that still separated them. Even her trademark flower comb had fallen to the ground, loosening her hair until it hung limply over his searching hands. She retaliated furiously, and before they knew it, more than just the cloaks were long gone.

Finally, the winner was decided as Konan gained dominance, shoving him down into his spot on the small bed in the corner. He didn't give in easily, and really, he struggled as best as he could. He had a reputation to keep up, darnit! He would never give in so fast! And with another shove, he managed to gain some sort of leverage even as she glanced up defiantly at him. But oh no, he wouldn't let her get that leverage back, no way, not after he tried so hard! No, he had to do something to keep her there a little longer. Instinctively, his hand wandered lower than he had ever been on her before, and she jolted with surprise. Before she could make any noise, he kissed her again. Although he would have loved to hear her cry out with pleasure, he also would have hated for anyone to wonder what they were doing. Besides, he enjoyed the silence, that secret shared by only them.

After having a brief moment of control over her, he let her fight back one more time to gain her dominance, letting her do as she pleased. He had never imagined even in his most erotic dreams the things she was doing to him right now. Somehow that unbreakable bond between them made the experience all the more enjoyable. The comfortable intimacy of all those years spent together, everything they had been through, all of that deepened the passion beyond anything they had ever known.

She was certainly more creative than he would ever be, and he loved how quickly she tried to explore every possible way to make him squirm, but again, he didn't give in that easily. But when she finally slid into her natural spot, right there where an ache had been growing for quite some time, she was the one who had to silence him with a kiss, grinning triumphantly as she finally saw him weaken. Something about making his eyes widen with shock always gave her a sense of pride in what she had done. She made the impassive Pein nearly cry out just from something she did to him. It was exhilarating, it was fulfilling.

It was all she could do to keep him quiet with her kisses, because she wanted to make those embarrassing noises, she wanted to hear him make them, she wanted to hear how it sounded in unison. And most importantly, she wanted to hear what he sounded like at the peak of the action. But for some reason, she kept him quiet, even as she felt what she was waiting for all along, felt herself barely resist the noise as she came to the climax. He followed soon after, his gasp quickly muffled by another kiss, their love consummated in silence. Even the rain seemed to quiet down to lend a moment of perfect quiet to fill every corner of their souls. They had once been two, but then the two became one, one mind and soul connected for all eternity in that silence.

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A/N: Is it over? Not until the fish jumps. fish jumps It's over...

Hopefully you enjoyed this ridiculously long fan fic. Was it a bit too long? A lot of stuff happened, huh? Well, that concludes the fan fic, please check back for more stories as time goes on ok? I'll be sure to write more!


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